The Story of a Goat

Once upon a time there was a goat, That went out for adventure on a boat, The goat saw a storm, looming to the right, The clouds had come, black as night.

The goat went "naaaaa" and shivered and shook, The captain cursed, shaking his hook, The lightning crashed and thunder too, Yes, that storm made quite a brew. *** And the distant mountains did grow tall, The crackling leaves showed signs of fall. Like white puffy clouds, the sheep aligned, To greet the goat, as they had been assigned.

The goat swam up, tired as can be, His hoof prints stamped on the sand like a C. The sheep, so glad, had bleated aloud, Bewildered, the goat looked all around.

"Come join us," one little lamb said, "Come join our home of Ireland." *** The goat awoke to the morning light, Unsure where he was, it was a true fright. Then the little lamb, he snuggled close, And a sharp smell hit the goat's nose.

"What is that?" he asked, curiosity gaining, "Don’t you know?” the lamb replied, "That's the grass when it's raining!" "Grass?" bewildered he said, hardly believing, But the lamb could not reply, because he was eating.

He swallowed and said, "Yes grass, it's true!" "We sheep eat grass, it's what we like to do!"

Wrinkling his nose, the goat stalked out, Into the rainy sunshine, he pranced all about. The grass glowed bright, in the water it shone, Maybe it might, just might, taste like something from back home.

It slid down his throat, and he tingled with glee, The grass was Delicious! "How lovely!" exclaimed he.

'"I knew you'd like it!" said the little lamb, "It's much better than anything from a can!" "Yes," the goat consenting, gazing at the hills, "This beat's the farm, with all its grain mills."

And the little lamb laughed, jumping and twirling, Dancing and swirling, running and swirling!

"Gee, that looks like fun," the little goat said. "Then join me!" said the lamb, laughing off his head.

"I can't," he admitted, "I don't know how..." "You don't need to know it, you just do it now!" 'So the goat tried to twirl, but he did fail, For is diet of fishes made his bones frail.

The lamb ran over, with a look of despair, Asking, confused, "What happened there? Why can you not run or jump or twirl or dance? Why can you not laugh or joy or be happy and prance?"

"I can!" he exclaimed, "Just teach me, I will!" "Alright," he said doubtfully, "first thing first- don't stand still! Let the rain move you, dance with the drops, Be glad to live, let your hair twist up like mops! For joy is found in nature and bliss- For what do you need when you never wish?"

'This the goat pondered, but then he brightened! He pranced about, now happy and enlightened! His dance was so beautiful, so pure, and so fine, The eyes that he gazed through held a wonderful shine!

"That's it!" the lamb exclaimed, jumping and laughing. "You did it, you did it!" he grinned, and if he could, he would be clapping.

Out of breath, the goat stopped, and laid down with a smile, Blissfully he stayed there, and he slept for a while. When he awoke, he rose with wonder, And asked, "What is in that land, over yonder?"

'The little lamb's eyes, they did grow wide, "You mean beyond those mountains, on the other side?" When the goat nodded, he answered quite slow, "That's is the place where the river flows."

"It flows long and fast, it's a sight to behold, And when the sun shines, the water sparkles like gold. But no one has been there since the last fall, Even though they say the sights are the best of them all!"

"Let's go!" the goat said, beginning to amble, and started upon his long, winded ramble. Eagerly the little lamb ceased to tarry, Listening to the goat's little story.

'"Once upon a time, I lived on a farm," The goat began with his exciting yarn, "The other goats were many, the cows were aplenty, But for some strange reason, my life seemed empty."

"So on a journey I went," he said while walking, "I met a young duckling and we started talking. We spoke for a while, and parted ways, But not before we split a lunch at the Happy Days."

"The Happy Days, you see, is a very nice inn, So cheerful and happy, so full of din, I overheard news of a lost, hidden treasure, Over in Ireland, and I took a boat for the pleasure."

The lambie, he cried, "This Ireland? Our home, our land? Where our food never ever comes in a can? Why we have treasure aplenty! Our life here could never be empty!"

The goat opened his mouth to protest, But they reached the peak of the mountain's crest. Mouth gaping open, he stared in shock, How could this exist? How could it NOT?

The sun glittered on the lakes and streams, The goat was bewildered by the wonderful gleams. Majestic willows swayed in the breeze, Draping long branches, arcing with ease.

"It's beautiful!" he breathed, caught up in delight, For this place, this amazing place, was quite a sight!

The lamb had not heard, for he bounded ahead, Eating the grass, into the wind he sped.

'The goat went "naaaa!" and joined his friend, In the grass they rolled, hoping it would never end.

"Look! Fruit!" one or the other shouted! Whether or not it tasted good, neither of them doubted. Down the fruit went, crisp and sweet, "Ah, this is the life," the lamb did bleat.

Nodding agreement, the goat clip-clopped! Into the water, where a little frog hopped. "Hello," the frog, quite cheerfully sang, "How are you, and you as well, this lovely day?" '"Fine, how are you?" the goat replied, As he watched the sun slowly sink and he sighed. "How am I?” the frog asked, “Why, I am happy and well! Everything in my life is amazingly swell!"

"For what more can you ask, When in life, your main task, Is to ribbit the coming of the morning, and the arrival of the night? What more is there to crave for delight? I love my home, I'd never change it! Adventure is nice, but I do not crave it!" The goat, now amazed, learned another lesson that day, For as long as you love a place, there your heart will stay!

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